Too-much-of-anything

Too much of anything is not good.   You’ve heard people talk about “everything in moderation,” and that is usually pretty good advice.   Just because a little bit of something is good does NOT mean more is better.

You can, and should, apply this line of thinking to your cattle and genetic selection.   It has been extremely difficult for most cow-calf producers to stop at the optimum level for any trait.   Most shoot past the optimum level without even slowing down.   They mistakenly believe they are not improving their cowherd unless they are changing it.   I fervently disagree!

There are genetic antagonisms between several of the most important economic traits in beef cattle.   For example, high growth will negatively affect calving ease, fertility, cow size and maintenance requirements.   High milk will also negatively affect fertility and maintenance requirements.   The optimum level for most traits usually lies somewhere in the middle.

Nearly all ranchers in North America have cows that are too big and milky for their environment.   Their input costs are much too high for their output.   When they were receiving record-high prices for their calves, they were profitable.   Unfortunately, that time was short-lived.   More and more ranchers don’t have enough income to cover their expenses.

Optimum production will always be more profitable than maximum production.   Bigger is NOT always better!   Optimum production is the point at which net profits are maximized.   Profit and enjoyment are the only two things we want to maximize in this business.   Is your program geared toward maximum profit and maximum enjoyment?   It should be!

Pharo Cattle Company has the genetics you need to maximize profit.   While everyone else remains focused on increasing pounds per animal (bragging rights), we remain focused on increasing pounds per acre (profit).   Pharo Cattle Company also has the philosophies you need to maximize enjoyment.   Call 800-311-0995 to request a catalog for our three fall bull sales.

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